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❄️ HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES ❄️
Free shipping on US* orders $75+

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Shipping & Returns



❄️ 2024 Holiday Shipping Deadlines ❄️

The holidays are here and that means a surge in volume across our couriers' shipping networks. This increased volume also increases the regrettably unavoidable possibility of lost and delayed shipments. The best way to ensure you receive your purchases on time this holiday season is to place your orders as early as possible.

With that said, below you'll find the carrier-suggested ship-by dates for package delivery by December 25th. Please note that these dates serve as guidelines only and do NOT guarantee delivery by Dec. 25th, which is why we encourage you to place your orders as early as possible.

  • International & APO/FPO/DPO: Order by Dec. 4
  • Free Shipping: Order by Dec. 15
  • USPS First Class: Order by Dec. 15
  • USPS Priority Mail: Order by Dec. 18
  • UPS Ground: Order by Dec. 15
  • UPS 3 Day Select: Order by Dec. 18
  • UPS 2nd Day Air: Order by noon Pacific Time, Dec. 19
  • UPS Next Day Air: Order by noon Pacific Time, Dec. 22


Contents


How We Ship

We provide shipping options via both UPS and USPS. We also offer free shipping on domestic orders of $75+ ($125+ AK & HI). For local customers, free store pickup is available at our San Francisco location.



UPS

UPS is our recommended shipping provider and we offer several UPS rates, including standard UPS Ground as well as expedited options. Please note that expedited rates (ie. Next Day Air, 2 Day Air, and 3 Day Select) are based on business days. For example, if we receive an order with 2nd Day Air shipping on Friday morning and the package is picked up Friday afternoon, you will not receive your package until the following Tuesday. Regardless of the service you select, delivery dates are provided as an estimate, not a guarantee.



US Postal Service (USPS)

We find that UPS provides more reliable service to most destinations, however we do offer select rates via the US Postal Service. Smaller orders placed with our free shipping option may ship via USPS First Class (which is untracked). Depending on your destination, you may also have the option to choose USPS Priority Mail at checkout, which includes tracking. Regardless of the service you select, delivery dates are provided as an estimate, not a guarantee.



Free Shipping

Domestic orders of $75+ ($125+ for Alaska & Hawaii) qualify for complimentary shipping - simply choose "Free Shipping" at checkout. Depending on the weight and size of your package, we will send your parcel via either USPS First Class, USPS Ground Advantage, USPS Priority Mail, or UPS Ground at our discretion. If your order is time sensitive, please choose an expedited UPS shipping option at checkout.



International Orders

We ship to a limited number of international destinations. If your country is not displayed as an option at checkout, we do not currently support it as a shipping destination.

Some international customers opt to use a freight forwarding service to ship our products to regions that we do not currently support directly. In this case, please note that this shipping and return policy only covers your shipment from our store to its initial destination (the freight forwarder). Any issues that arise during the second leg of shipping (from the freight forwarder to the final destination) are the sole responsibility of the freight forwarding company, and we are not able to offer replacements, refunds, or any other solutions in such cases.

Please note that international orders may be assessed an additional duty fee upon import, depending on the laws of the destination country. In some cases, these fees can be equal to or higher than the value of the order itself. Unfortunately, we have no control over these charges, and we cannot refund or reimburse import fees. We are also unable to reverse your shipment once it is dispatched from our store. By placing an international order, you indicate that you have read this return policy (including our return shipment policy as it pertains to international orders), and are aware that you may be charged additional import fees to receive your package.



Store Pickup

In-store pickup is available for all orders. In the "Information" section at checkout, simply click the "Pick up" tab to select Store Pickup*, or click "change" next to your shipping method to edit.

Once you are notified that your order is ready for pickup, stop by our store anytime during our business hours and provide your order number. Pickup orders must be collected within 4 weeks from date of purchase. Orders which have not been collected will be cancelled and refunded.

*Store Pickup is not available on expedited checkout services like Apple Pay. To select Store Pickup, you must checkout manually on our website. We apologize for this inconvenience.



Shipping FAQs

Below, you'll find our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive regarding shipments.


How much does shipping cost?

Shipping rates are calculated based on the weight and size of the parcel, the shipping method selected, and the distance from our San Francisco location to the destination. All available rate options for your order are displayed during checkout online.



When will my order ship?

We dispatch orders Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays (shipping is suspended on Tuesdays, when our store is closed). For example, an order placed on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday would typically ship the same day; an order placed on a Tuesday (when our store is closed) would typically ship on Wednesday; and an order placed Saturday or Sunday would typically ship the following Monday, since couriers do not operate on weekends. As soon as your parcel ships, you will automatically receive a confirmation email including a tracking number for your shipment. Please note that we do not guarantee shipment dates, and some orders may take longer to ship than others.



When will an expedited shipment arrive?

All shipping services operate Monday-Friday, and are typically closed on weekends; as such, expedited shipping rates only count business days. For example, a 2 Day Air shipment dispatched on Thursday would not arrive until the following Monday (two business days later). Regardless of the service you select, delivery dates are provided as an estimate, not a guarantee.



When will a standard shipment arrive?

For all orders, we allow up to three weeks from the date of shipment for your package to arrive. If a package takes longer than this to arrive, it may be eligible for replacement, per the terms of our policy on lost packages.



Are delivery dates guaranteed?

No. Regardless of the service you select, delivery dates are provided as an estimate, not a guarantee. Shipping is handled by the carriers we work with (ie. USPS, UPS, etc.) — once your package departs our facility, we are unable to make any updates or expedite your delivery, nor do we have control over any delays caused by the courier.



Order Changes/Cancellations

To modify or cancel your order, please CALL US as soon as possible at (415) 395-0868 during our business hours.

We work to fulfill your orders as quickly as possible, and modification/cancellation requests received by email may not be reviewed in time to update your order. Once your order is dispatched from our store, we are not liable for any return shipping costs associated with cancelling/reversing your order, and (per our return policy) typically cannot offer a refund, depending on the items in your order.



Returns & Exchanges

We want to ensure that you enjoy your purchase. If a teaware item does not meet your expectations, we will gladly accept a return for store credit or offer a replacement if returned within 30 days of delivery. We do not offer exchanges, replacements, or returns after 30 days of delivery.

For food safety, we cannot accept returns of tea; all tea sales are final. We recommend purchasing a smaller amount to taste before committing to a larger purchase; for your convenience, single-serving samples are available for purchase for all of our teas. If there is a problem with the tea you received, please contact us.

Furthermore, we cannot accept returns of our Tasting Collections; all Tasting Collection sales are final. If there is a problem with items in your Tasting Collection, please contact us.

We are unable to accept returns of used Yixing clay items &/or used celadon items. To ensure you are happy with the function of these items, we encourage you to test them with pure water first.

Lastly, we are unable to accept returns of used Stagg EKG & Stagg EKG+ water kettles. These items must be unused and in their original and complete packaging to qualify for a return.



I received the wrong item(s).

If we made a mistake in packing your order, we will send you a replacement right away. Please contact us immediately after opening your order. If required, we will provide a return shipping label for the incorrect item(s) and instructions for returning these to us.



My item(s) arrived damaged.

Please inspect the contents of your order promptly upon receipt; while we package our orders as securely as possible, damage can occur during transit. If your order arrived damaged, please contact us within 3 days of delivery. We will ask that you provide specific images of the damage. After verifying, we will ship you a replacement and file a claim with the carrier.  We recommend that you keep the original items and packaging in your possession until the claim has been processed. Depending on the situation, we may provide a return shipping label and ask you to return the damaged items to us.



My package is lost in transit.

We consider a package lost in transit only if A) the courier admits to the loss, or when B) more than three weeks have lapsed since the date of shipment and C) there are no recent tracking updates otherwise indicating that the package is still in transit. We are unable to process replacement requests for a lost shipment until it meets these criteria. If your package is lost (ie. meets either A or B&C), we will ship you a replacement and file a claim with the carrier. If you suspect your package is lost, please contact us immediately.

Please note that it may take 1-2 days for tracking information to become available after we ship an order, and this delay is rarely an indication of loss.



My package was marked delivered but I can't find it.

Packages are frequently marked as delivered prior to actual delivery. If your order is marked as delivered but you can't find your package, we ask that you wait another 2-3 business days; if it still hasn't appeared by then, please let us know and we will ship you a replacement and file a claim with the carrier.



My delivery failed / "return to sender".

"Return to sender" errors occur when the provided shipping address is incomplete or otherwise improperly formatted, if the recipient no longer resides at the provided address, or if no one is available to receive the package / the package is not collected in a timely manner. Packages marked as "return to sender" will be returned to us by the original carrier at our expense. If delivery of your package fails and is marked "return to sender," we will be happy to re-send your package for a fee (equal to the return charge + new postage), once it is returned to us.

Please note that our shipping labels are automatically generated using the shipping address you provide at checkout, and we cannot cover any costs associated with re-sending your package.



My package was sent to the wrong address.

Our shipping labels are automatically generated using the shipping address you provide at checkout. If your package is sent to the wrong address, this indicates that the address was entered incorrectly at checkout. We cannot provide an exchange, replacement, refund, or return in this type of situation.

For this reason, we ask that you carefully review your order information prior to placing your order. This is especially important with express payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay, as these services will automatically submit the default shipping address you have saved with them, unless you manually change it during checkout.

If you notice a mistake after placing your order, please call us at (415) 395-0868 as soon as possible during our business hours to correct the mistake. We work to fulfill your orders as quickly as possible, and edit/cancellation requests received by email may not be reviewed in time to update or cancel fulfillment of your order. Once your order is dispatched from our store, we are not liable for any return shipping costs associated with editing/cancelling/reversing your order.



I changed my mind / I don’t like what I bought.

While we try our best to describe our products accurately through pictures and words, we understand that preferences can be highly subjective. If an item does not meet your expectations, we will gladly offer store credit or an exchange/replacement within 30 days of delivery. Items must be returned to us in unused and resaleable condition to qualify. Please contact us for return instructions.

For food safety, we cannot accept returns of tea; all tea sales are final. We recommend buying a smaller amount to taste before committing to a larger purchase; for your convenience, single-serving samples are available for purchase for all of our teas. If there is a problem with the tea you received, please contact us.

Furthermore, we cannot accept returns of our Tasting Collections; all Tasting Collection sales are final. If there is a problem with the items in your Tasting Collection, please contact us.

We are unable to accept returns of used Yixing clay items &/or used celadon items. To ensure you are happy with the function of these items, we encourage you to test them with pure water first.

Lastly, we are unable to accept returns of used Stagg EKG & Stagg EKG+ water kettles. These items must be unused and in their original and complete packaging to qualify for a return.



I broke my teaware - will you replace it?

Teaware can be delicate and requires reasonable care when handling. We do not offer exchanges, replacements, returns, or refunds of any kind on items where damage was incurred by the customer.



Return Shipping Labels

For non-tea items, should you receive the incorrect items, or your items arrive flawed or damaged, we will issue an expenses-paid return shipping label via email. We issue a maximum of 1 such return label per order.

We are unable to cover return shipment expenses:

      • if items are returned for reasons other than incorrect packing, damage, or flaws in workmanship;
      • where an incorrect shipping address was provided on the initial order; or
      • on international orders.

Please note that we do not offer postage-paid return labels for certain oversized / heavy items like our stone and ebony tea trays. We are happy to provide images of these items prior to shipment for quality verification. Should you need to return such items after you receive them, we are not liable for any incurred return shipping expenses.



Refund Policy

We do not offer direct refunds of any purchases, except in circumstances where we have made a mistake on your order that cannot be corrected with a replacement/exchange, or where an item is damaged in transit or arrives flawed and cannot be repaired or replaced. While the majority of orders do not qualify for a direct cash refund, your item(s) may still be eligible for an exchange, replacement, or store credit refund, per the terms of our Return Policy.